Ebony and Ivory
by Lil Lilypad
Summary: A NejiTen drabble and one shot ficlet collection Number 4: She was the rose, and he was the thorns. AU & In Universe
1. Something Over Nothing

Author's Notes: This is my first fan fiction, so constructive criticism and flames are accepted. I apologize if any of the characters are OOC. This was meant to have many openings, so you can use your imagination with them.

Disclaimer: The author does not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does.

**Something Over Nothing**

By Lil Lilypad

"Oh, no!" came the frantic voice of a twenty-two year old woman by the name of Tenten. The sound of rustling papers filled the apartment, as they were all picked up and skimmed through, then thrown onto the floor. She checked her watch again, only to see that she had 8 minutes left to find the missing document before heading off to work.

"Neji, did you see where I put it?" the woman questioned, all the while sifting through different stacks of papers. A man walked into the room, casting his pale eyes over his panicking wife and the various sheets littering the floor.

"Don't you remember where you put it last night?"

"Does it look like I do?" came the irritable reply.

The man simply sighed and caught a rather large packet that was thrown his way. Knowing that he'd only get in the way, he seated himself on their sofa, waiting until his part came. During his wife's moments of panic, such as these, he had learned that the way to be of most help was to not help at all. He would be the one to fix and pick up everything later, anyway.

"Ah, ha! I found it!" the brunette brushed back her bangs and rushed over to her husband before she would leave. Wrapping her arms around his back, she pulled him into a quick embrace. Just as she was about to step out, the voice of her befuddled husband came.

"That's all?" he asked, and she was pleased to hear the slight whine in his voice.

"Oh, is Neji being greedy, now?" she teased, smiling slightly. At the narrowing of his eyes, she took the few steps over to him, until their bodies touched ever so slightly. She placed one hand on his arm, could see him leaning down…

And with that, she gave him a firm, hard pinch. He pulled away from her swiftly. Confusion was etched across his features.

"Something is better than nothing," she said, winking. Without any further ado, she exited the apartment, leaving poor Neji to ponder over the statement.


	2. Tainted

Author's Notes- This is AU, but doesn't take place in the same setting as Something Over Nothing. I think it turned out as more of a fic-let.

Disclaimer- The author does not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does.

**Tainted**

By Lil Lilypad

They walked into the building, one beside the other. Both were decked out in business suits, hers white, his black. Turning to the right of the front desk, the taller of the two pushed the up button. When the lift came down, they entered. A few seconds later, the four button glowed orange. Stepping out, they strolled through different hallways, passing several cubicles.

"Be careful, Neji," the female of the two said, to which he responded with a nod. She headed left, he to the right. Tenten rounded numerous corners, before entering the room. Taking a seat at the chair with its back directly facing the door, she glanced at the others at the table. 'Temari, Kankuro, Shino, Tayuya, Kin.' All of these people looked rather shady.

One other seat remained untaken. 'Gaara', the nameplate read. A few minutes after, the door opened, and all eyes turned to the disturbance. The man was obviously the head director, Gaara. About ten minutes into the meeting, people outside the room started panicking. The other six got up to see what was going on, Tenten walked over to the potted plant in the corner and bent down. She took out a small explosive and placed it on the dirt, where it was hidden by a few leaves.

When she turned around, none of the people that were previously in the room were inside. She quickly stepped out; they had about 15 minutes. She started in the direction that her partner had gone in. Finding room W417, she entered, casting her gaze over the silver haired man who was eagle-spread on the floor.

"I set the bomb. We have 15 minutes to get out of here," she informed him.

"We leave right now, then."

"No, you won't," came a voice from the doorway. Both turned around to see Gaara holding a gun level to their heads. Neji reached into his suit pocket and kept his hand on the gun inside. He had the feeling the need for it would come up. Tenten slowly moved so she was behind her accomplice, but able to see their enemy's actions at the same time.

No one moved for the next few minutes. The tension was thick; each side watching the other like an eagle would its prey. Suddenly, Tenten found herself plunging her formerly hidden dagger into Gaara's vital organs before falling into open air, just falling, heading downwards, nearing the ground, before everything was gone. Before she blacked out, she saw the bomb she had planted serve its purpose, taking down everything in the building. But where was Neji?

_Neji…_

Her eyes fluttered open, and then she blinked a few times as her eyes got adjusted to the light.

"Are you alright?" he murmured quietly. Knowing the secret meaning behind these words, she replied, "Our hands have been tainted for a long time. It's part of the job." They sat together in silence, until she intertwined their fingers. Both of them had lost their innocence long before they signed up for the job. Every time their souls grew darker, though, they were together. Just as they would be as long as they were in this mess, and long after they escaped it.


	3. Beyond Vision

Author's Notes: Again, this takes place in a different universe.

Disclaimer: The author does not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does.

**Beyond Vision**

By Lil Lilypad

Everything about him stated that he was a man of the city. First off, his carefully ironed and fitted black suit was clearly not going to be found at any tailor's store in these parts. Secondly, the sleekness of this his Mercedes-Benz easily contrasted with that of the pickup trucks and convertibles that were parked in front of various houses. He had long since grown accustomed to the buildings, lights, traffic, and noises of civilization, but it was customary that a Hyuuga visit the head at his summer home at the time of year when the sunflowers would grow tallest.

His car rolled to a stop in front of the gates. When they opened, he continued in, ignoring the brightly colored plants. A blue pickup truck was behind him. When they reached the front of the manor, he stepped out and allowed a valet to park his car in the lot. The occupants of the pickup truck could be heard insisting that their car didn't need to be parked. He strode to the door and rang the doorbell twice. The door quickly opened and he entered, not sparing the maid a glance. Instead, he proceeded to where he knew his uncle's study to be. He knocked once, then a voice that was unmistakably his uncle's said, "Come in."

Upon entering, his eyes fell upon someone who he had never met nor seen before. A brunette was seated next to his cousin, Hinata. She was wearing a white blouse and a skirt of midnight blue. Her hair was pulled into a low ponytail. A small smile played at her lips, giving her the overall air of a mellow, cheerful person.

"Ah, Neji. I was wondering when you'd come to visit. This is Hinata's guest, Tenten," Hiashi said. Neji gave the woman a nod of acknowledgment, and noticed that her smile never faltered.

"Tenten's family owns the two hotels in this town," Hinata said.

"Why don't we take a walk?" Hiashi asked pleasantly. Normally, Neji would've declined and said that he had business to attend to, but that day, he accepted the offer. Something about that girl, Tenten seemed to draw him in. There was definitely more than met the eye.

Father, daughter, and guest stood up and followed him out the door. His uncle then led them down the corridor and to the right. In the garden, dozens of species of plants flourished. Sunflowers, tulips, daisies, lilies, many other flowers, and a number of trees and bushes stood. Three people around his age were planting even more flowers. A pony tailed blonde instructed two men—one pineapple haired and the other pleasantly plump—while digging an array of holes. The stone path was a lighter shade of red, but not yet pink. When Hinata started a conversation with her father, Tenten turned to Neji.

"You're not from around here." It was more of a statement than a question, but he nodded anyways.

"What exactly do you do?" she asked. Her voice was light, pleasant. He didn't bother to contemplate over his answer for long.

"I'm a lawyer."

"Wow. I don't think I'd understand all the laws and politics," she laughed. He feels a smile tugging at his lips, and he finds himself surprised. They continued to stroll along the path, sometimes pausing for Tenten to name or comment on the flowers.

"How old are you, Neji?" she asked. He finds that he likes hearing her say his name.

"Twenty five."

"I'm twenty four," she said, though he never asked.

"Why do you smile so much?" he asked. From the slight widening of her eyes, she wasn't used to being asked that, but had suspected that he would ask.

"Would you prefer that I frown? And besides, I don't want to get wrinkles before I'm thirty," she replied, laughing. By then, Hiashi and Hinata were far ahead of them.

"Where is your hotel?"

"Oh, I can bring you to one of them. I'm stopping by there later, anyway."

A fair distance away, Hyuuga and Hyuuga looked back at Neji and Tenten.

"How long do you think he'll stay here in the countryside?" Hiashi asked.

"I think the question should be 'How long do you think _she'll_ stay here?'. I expect that Neji will want to bring her to the city sometime," Hinata responded, smiling.

After all, Neji Hyuuga was a man of the city.


	4. Rose

Author's Notes: This is in-universe again.

Disclaimer: The author does not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does.

**Rose**

By Lil Lilypad

She was like a rose, beautiful, elegant. She, like the flower, had a barrier around her, keeping her from getting hurt. The barrier would protect her; he would send an icy glare to any man that would as much as glance at her, whether on a mission or on the streets of Konoha. If any of the men were bold enough to near her, he would stand close behind her, keeping her in sight. If the person did anything unruly to her, he would be near, so that he could Jyuuken their guts out.

If any of them wanted to get to her, they would have to get through him first. If he couldn't protect her, then he would leave the offending person with severe wounds. They wouldn't get through him without any of those. He was her protector when she couldn't protect herself.

Sometimes, he had to let a few people get past him. If not, the rose would wilt. She enjoyed his company, but she needed the presence of other flowers. She would flourish, and the others would too. All the while, he would stay near. He was her calm after two wild green weeds drove her into the depths of insanity.

When it was required, he would be her defense. When it need be, he would let other plants befriend her. Through everything, he would stick to her.

She was the rose, and he was the thorns.


End file.
